Zero-temperature dynamics of the spherical model with non-reciprocal interactions

Abstract: We analytically solve the zero-temperature dynamics of the spherical model with non-reciprocal random interactions drawn from the real elliptic ensemble of random matrices, where a single parameter $η$ continuously interpolates between purely symmetric ($η=1$) and purely antisymmetric ($η=-1$) couplings. We show that the two-time correlation and response functions depend on both times in the presence of non-reciprocal interactions, reflecting the breakdown of time-translation invariance and the absence of equilibrium at long times. Nevertheless, the long-time relaxation of the two-time observables is governed by exponential decays, in contrast to the slow, power-law relaxation characteristic of the model with purely symmetric interactions. We further show that, when the interactions present antisymmetric correlations of strength $η<0$, there is a time scale $τ(η)$ above which the dynamics undergoes a transition to an oscillatory regime where the two-time observables display periodic oscillations with an exponentially decaying amplitude. Overall, our results give a detailed account of the dynamics of the spherical model with non-reciprocal interactions at zero temperature, providing a benchmark for the study of complex systems with nonlinear and asymmetric interactions.